20 Years of the Salomon TenEighty


[YouTubeUlar] <— 20,238

The first two minutes of this Salomon TV tribute to JP Auclair and the history of the Salomon 1080 is filled with ridiculously awesome banger quotes. Take your pick, and enjoy the flick.

“JP JP JP JP JP JP JP” — Everyone

“I think the greatest thing you can do with one of your friends is to remember them in your hearts and in your minds… and here everybody is and I think it’s just the coolest thing ever. I really do.” — Blake Jorgensen

“Thank’s a lot everyone for coming out on the 20th anniversary of the New Canadian Airforce and honoring a great man … JP Auclair.” — Mike Douglas

“Here we are, Blackcomb wind lip session … it’s been a long time since I’ve seen something like this go down. It’s a throw back to the old days, the tribe has rallied… it’s just good to be here man, it feels like old times.” — Feet Banks

“It’s awesome to see everyone getting fired up, just sending it, just strictly out of love for him.”

“Vinny and JP’s and Szocs and Mike, they are just on the next level”

“Every single trick they did was groundbreaking and never been done before… and what really stood out for us is that a lot of the shots we saw were in Whistler”

Well, this is where we kind of learned a lot of this stuff. So to be back here exactly 20 years later is super super cool.” — Mike Douglas

“That was the first back flip mute I think I’ve done in about 10 years … that one was for JP” — Mike Douglas

“My back is sore, my shins will be sore… and I need a masseuse and a hot tub. I can’t do those hard landings anymore.” — Shane Szocs

“Back to 97 baby!” — Mike Douglas

“Back when skiing was just furry boots and malt cider and like kind of FIS bullshit, these guys stepped up, they turned it around, they took it backwards.”

“And that’s what made them rad.”

“A guy once told me that anything less than 20 years old is just news, it’s not history. And it’s been 20 years now since the TenEighty came out so… I guess we’ll see.” — Mike Douglas

“I sense snowboard coming really big two years ago like all new tricks I was like fuck man – should I change for snow board but, like I said in my mind – ah fuck there is something to do with skiing. There’s not because we got pole that we can’t grab so… last year I started to do flip like mistys and rodeo and I think skiings awesome and we can kick snowboards ass easily.” — JF Cusson

“Skiing was pretty much dead in the 90s, snowboarding was taking off.” — Jonny Moseley

“Skiing was your parents sport. Nobody — No one young with energy or that was cool was getting into skiing.” — Mike Douglas

“And the New Canadian Air Force came along and they invented twin tip skis … and that just like set it off.” — Jonny Moseley

Level 1 Productions – Partly Cloudy Trailer

[Vimeeeeooo] <— 61,691 About Partly Cloudy: Everything is baked. The snow has turned to mush and that burn is starting to peel. Fortunately, for those seeking cover from the glare there is a reset on the way. Hot on the heels of Level 1’s award-winning film Sunny comes a slightly different forecast. No major disturbances or low-pressure fronts, just a healthy mix of skiing, music, and personality with a low ultraviolet index. Partly Cloudy. Featuring: Chris Logan, Will Wesson, Ahmet Dadali, Parker White, Adam Delorme, Tanner Rainville, Wiley Miller, LSM, Tim McChesney, Banks Gilberti, LJ Strenio, Torin Yater-Wallace, Josh Bibby, Niklas Eriksson, Logan Imlach, Sammy Carlson, Sig Tveit, Magnus Granér… and friends. Shot on Location in: Utah, Sweden, Whistler Blackcomb, Alaska, Colorado, Wisconsin, New York, British Columbia, Les Arcs France, Kansas, Minnesota, Wyoming, Montana, Finland, Sun Valley Idaho, Mt. Bachelor Oregon Directed by Josh Berman and Freedle Coty Produced by Josh Berman Principal Cinematography by Josh Berman, Freedle Coty, Darren Rayner, Jake Strassman and Ante Olofsson Edited by Josh Berman, Freedle Coty and Blake Kimmel

Sarah Burke – Winter X Games 2012 Tribute


[YouTubeYouTube] <— 9,399

“The brave do not live forever, but the cautious do not live at all”

There is a pure, unadulterated joy we all experience when we do something we love.

An infectious happiness that is impossible to deny.

Sarah Burke learned that at an early age, and would spend all of her energy trying to teach the rest of us.

Her triumphs on skis always brought us to her our feet.

Her willingness to help competitors defied our expectations. Her determination to grow her sport took it to new heights, and brought us along for the ride. And her smile, her smile could brighten even our darkest hour.

In her 29 years, Sarah taught us many things: How to persevere, how to overcome, how to succeed.

But Sarah’s true lesson and her greatest gift was showing us all… how to live.

Kelly Sildaru – Freestyle Skiing Progression

[Vimeeeeo] <— 39,000 The future of women's freeskiing just popped up in the form of 10 year old Kelly Sildaru.. And where was this facility when I was growing up?

Who wants to open a freestyle training facility like this here in Denver? We weren’t allowed to play play play like this in gymnastics as a kid. We’ll call it Scorphy Raddogs.

JP Auclair – Movie Time

I recently exchanged some quick emails with JP Auclair to see what he has been up to. Fall is approaching so I wanted to find out what movies I could expect his involvement in this year.

Below is a quick list of where he has been spending his skiing and editing time.

Sherpas Cinema – All.I.Can

I got involved with the sherpas later on… So , no involvement in the teaser. But I shot with them quite a bit last winter, mostly for a urban segment, we shot it with a slightly different approach then I’d been doing in the past (the seg will be about 4 minutes) I’m pretty excited about it.

And right now I’m trying to help out with the movie as a whole, so I’ve became pretty invested in it. Really cool project!

Seth Morrison – The Ordinary Skier

Sweetgrass Productions – SOLITAIRE

Level 1 – After Dark Trailer


[Vimeo] <— 104,000 Hey Josh... thanks for dropping this on my wall and informing me of Level 1 Productions latest creation. Upon first watch... I have to say this is a very dark teaser. Since the name of the video this year is After Dark – I’m going to let if fly.

I counted 5 *holy shit* moments – 4 *what the* moments – and 20 different rewinds to figure out what in the hell is going on. Favorite shot is at 1:20 – looks like a quarter to reverse quarter transfer… so sick.

HYDLE – Skiing Day #2

[iDevice Link] <— 1 view. November 19th, 2010 Notes: Saucer Wax Session at Columbine Bar in Golden Breckenridge (Stephanie = Horrible customer service) Beers at the Base of Peak 8 Dinner at Chimayo Buy this song: http://bit.ly/frqQgH

Chad’s Gap

Synopsis (written by Devin Rhinehart):
4 kids from Montana are planning a vacation in Utah in 2004. One of them wants to know how to get to Chad’s Gap (the most mythical, unobtainable, challenging, quest of all time.). So the kid decides to go to a very reasonable source for skiing information (ns) and ask the question (How do you get to Chad’s Gap from the bas of Alta?).

Little does the kid realize… The Mormon population in Utah has spawned very territorial fierce gangsters that will break anybody’s back or kneecaps if they even mention Chad’s Gap. Also Marc Frank Montoya some how managed to make it out of the inner-city of Denver to become the gang leader in Alta. He relies on his thugs at Mac Dawg Productions to assist in getting the word out to all non residents of the state that if anybody attempts to find this gap they will certainly die.

But the gangs and broken kneecaps is the least of Creed’s worries. The really daunting task is trying to sift through 5 pages of disparaging remarks from the new schoolers to try to find reasonable directions to the Gap. Not to mention all the death threats and mean hurtful comments that attack his confidence and make him cry every night.

But Creed has a good friend to back him up (montanakid). They begin their trek from Montana to find “The Gap.” Meanwhile altarider and freeski1620 keep posting in the thread about certain death and destruction to anyone who attempts to come out to Utah and hit “their” gap. Little do they know that as they post Creed is shoveling and packing out the in run to the most impossible jump known to man. It really doesn’t take them that long, because shoveling snow is a past time for people from Montana and they are highly skilled.

The jump is ready. The cameras are in place. ACTION!!!

They hit Chad’s Gap. They throw down pretty hard, but not hard enough to blow the gap up that comes much later (in fact a couple years later). They post the videos on the thread and make everyone talking trash look like losers. They become heros to most. People look up to them for their accomplishments and big testicles.

The thread continues on even though the kids fade into the depths of the internet. Some say they rose above the internet and others say they ran into password problems, but whatever happened it really doesn’t matter because a couple years later the Gap gets blown up.

Here is where the story gets interesting. No one can confirm this, but apparently Chad’s Gap was destroyed. Now the jump for sure was destroyed by ski patrol after T Hall’s infamous mishap (Should have been wearing Full Tilts bud). Some say that the landing was also destroyed though. It could have been Tom Wallisch who afterbanged and blew it up, it could have been the TNT packed in Tanner’s boots, Or it could have been the infamous MFM crew that poured so much salt on it that it ate the landing away and there is just a hole in the ground now that will never grow vegetation. But most people think that ski patrol used two year’s worth of dynamite that should have been used to blast for Avalanches to not only blow up the landing but the entire gulch. I for one believe that Jon Olson had the entire gap moved for a super secret ski event in Europe. He hired the girl from the “Solid 7” thread to pop out a couple of oomp a loompas and he moved the entire gap stone by stone.

How it was destroyed really is not important the thing that is important is that somehow Tony Hawk was contacted by MFM (He was crying because his gap had been destroyed). Tony came out and rebuilt the gap using Boobs. Yes, Boobs. The landing is so soft and nippley now. Ski Patrol still keeps a pretty good eye on the gulch and has posted snipers up on the ridges at the direction of MFM to shoot anybody who comes into their territory. So if you are thinking of hitting Chad’s Gap in the future I would be careful. Besides…

you can’t just go and hit chads!!!

Every year a group of New Schoolers makes their way out there on January 13th to honor the brave men who came before us. They never seem to make it to the gap though because they get all turned around trying to follow the directions from the thread.

Eric Newman attempted a rodeo.
Jack Elliott did a straight air.
Andrew Creed did 2 straight airs and landed a 360.
Pat Owen did 3 straight airs and landed a front flip.

I love Skiing.

Newschoolers Best Thread Ever

Level 1 — Warren Miller “Refresh” Intro Segment Finally Legally Released

Level 1 Refresh Intro Segment from Level 1 on Vimeo.

The intro segment for Level 1’s 2009 release, Refresh!

About Refresh:
10 years deep and still not satisfied –

Never before has the sport of skiing changed and progressed so much, so quickly, as it has over the past decade. With changes in equipment, accessibility of terrain, and most importantly the mindset of some of the world’s best athletes, skiing today is not what it once was… An integral part of these recent changes, Level 1 looks back and challenges perspectives of where the sport has come from, and where it’s going in their tenth-anniversary offering, “Refresh.” Keeping true to their humble roots while exploring every arena that skiing has to offer the Level 1 crew serves up the most diverse ski entertainment to date. New things will never get old- fresh images of big jumps, deep powder, technical urban exploits, steep lines, and memorable terrain park action with a collection of the sport’s best and brightest talent.

[48 Views]

Level 1 – Eye Trip Official Trailer

Level 1 Eye Trip Official Trailer from Level 1 on Vimeo.

Turn out, tune on, and drop in.

Skiing’s counterculture continues to buck the trends of what’s come before them- this is a worldwide documentation of ski action as you’ve never seen it presented before.

Follow the Level 1 crew as they experiment with one of the largest gap jumps ever built in Sun Valley, Idaho, hit a record snowfall in Helsinki, Finland, and harvest the vast resources of Alaska… or perhaps it’s all just a lucid dream?

Wake up, because Level 1 will take you on the visual trip of a lifetime. Come along for the ride!